Recent research shows that the type of play associated with the role of the father is critical to the overall development of the child. A survey by the Faculty of Education at the University of Cambridge and the LEGO Foundation found that most fathers play with their children every day.

Moreover, when their working hours are taken into account, mothers and fathers spend roughly the same amount of play time with their children. Generally, the researchers noticed that dads played more with their children as they grew from babies to toddlers. Then the play time decreased again when they reached middle childhood – around the age of 8-13.

This does not necessarily mean that the relationship is deteriorating at this time. If you’re a father, this might just be an interesting thing to think about. How has the time you spent with your children changed as they grew up? Perhaps the type of your joint activities has changed.